The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-10-08
A DEEP MYSTERY.
RY ortE r. READ.


 | friend Captain Bill Langus
 Bill" I exclaimed, "can it be pos- i sible that this is you?" He replied in husky, sort of q ! foddery voice, that he was undoubt- edly himself.
 What is the matter with you?" asked. "When l last saw you. my dear fellow, you were as light as a ! spring wagon, but now you are as heavy as an OK cart. What has brought about this distressing changer"
 Sit down here few minutes and will tell you" he replied, drawing i up a seat. "You have read of strange stories, Fedoras and tIydes. as.raa Jekyles, l suppose" said he after a short pause.
 Yes" l replied.
 Well" he continued, the alteration in my appearance is involved in a story of deep and peculiar mystery.
 After leaving you went over into Kentucky and took a position as clerk with business man named Sla- ter. started in with the determina- tion of making myself useful to him, and it was not long before l suc- ceedcd. Where there had been con- fusion he soon found system. His books, instead ot looking like school boys smear of blackberry jam, pro- claimed the neat work of an experi- enced penman.
 "Slater was not a man to suffer such improvement to pass without compliment and from time to time he increased my salary. He honorel me with his confidence, introduced me to his family, permitted me to write an epitaph for the tomb of his first wife, and in many other ways of del- icate attention exhibited the high re- gard in which he held me.
 ''I slept in the store. We had all old fashioned safe that locked with a key. There were but two keys to this safe. carried ono and Slater carried the other. One morning, while l was looking over my books, Slater turned from the safe and exclaimed
 "'Great heavens, Langus. We have been robbed 7
 "That's hardly possible replied I have not left this room long enough for any one to break open the safe
 1.-The safe has not been broken open,' said he The lock has not been disturbed, but two thousand dollars that l placed i'll this drawer last night are gone
 "That was indeed serious an- nouncement. had not left the room during the evening or night, and was certain that no one had entered it. and besides, how could any one open the safe without breaking the lock?
 "Mr. Slaters said I, 'lct us search carefully before we raise an alarm. h fact, sir, do not see how a robbery could have been committcd.'
 We did search carefully, but tho fact of the robbery remained AS q re- suit. There is only one thing we can do, and that is to inform the dctcc- tivcs,' said l.
 "'Come then he replied, and let u. go at once
 ''The detectives came and carefully inspected the premises You can cas- fly imagine my feelings Simply q clerk, having a key, and the lock not having been broken. Why, to tell the truth-though did not care to confess it to Slater-I had sat up all night reading novel, and l knew that no man could have entered the room without my seeing him. What do you think of such a situation?"
 'lt was mysterious, to say the least," l replied.
 "Yes, and what made the situation more dramatic, knew who had taken the money"
 "Whatw l exclaimed.
 'Yes, sir, knew"
 You told Slater, of course"
 "No, but he found out, blast him. and he sent me to the pcnitentiary for two years. Oh, yes, it was mys- terious affair, but understood it, and l tell you what's fact--I am done with mysteries. Penitentiaries ray bc well enough, but don't like 'em. Tid- Bits.
 4 fine head of hair is an indispensa-